Tree Care Tips Borer insects are very hard to anticipate or eliminate. The best defense is simply to keep your trees from being stressed. You can do this by minimizing soil compaction, not over-watering and keep a thin layer of mulch in the root zone. Sycamore Anthracnose is prevalent in the Rogue Valley. It is a fungus that causes defoliation, twig dieback and can deform the tree. The effect of this fungus is relative to the health of the tree it is infecting. A heavily infected tree will show severe dieback in the upper canopy. The simplest control is to keep leaves and fallen twigs cleaned up and hauled off site. Severity of the disease changes from year to year. When Spring is cool and moist the infection will be severe. Sunscald can ruin and kill your new tree investment. This typically occurs on the South and West exposure of newly planted trees. It can lead to dieback of the cambium and exposed trunk wood to decay and infestation of borers. We recommend either painting the trunk with white latex paint or a sun sheild placed so the trunk has air circulation.